Go ask him

Thats a little weird, I've heard things similar to that.
Like I would go out with you but ....
not I'd go out with you but I wouldn't ask you out..
Little odd, perhaps he just meant he would just hang out with you as friends like Kathleen said, does sound like a high possibility. Or it could be something that doesn't make any sense at all like I'd go out with you but I don't want to ask you out to make it happen so you have to ask him out.